Being Alive
by CeliaEquus
Summary: By chance, two people from opposite sides of the war meet in the Leaky Cauldron. What will be the outcome of this meeting? Disclaimer: I am NOT JK Rowling, nor am I Stephen Sondheim. So I don't own anything recognisable, except my writing style. ;


"Being Alive"

One night, Marlene McKinnon—a member of one of the most powerful families in wizarding Britain—lost something. Through foolish pride, she had considered herself safe enough to go late night shopping in Diagon Alley. Admittedly, she needed some potions ingredients for the pain relief potion she had to brew. But she could have waited until morning, or until someone could accompany her.

If she had waited, however, she wouldn't have lost her heart.

The Leaky Cauldron was quite busy, and she decided to have a drink first. The only available seat was at a two-person table by the window. Sighing, she sat down with her drink, nearly dropping it when she saw who was opposite.

"What're you staring at?" Regulus Black asked, staring at his Firewhiskey. But then he focussed his attention on her, and his eyes widened. "What… why are you…"

"Uh, maybe I should leave…"

"No, no," he said, waving his hand. "It's fine. Just been awhile since I saw you last, that's all."

"Only a few months since we graduated, Black."

"Yeah, that's right. Seems like longer."

"So," she said. He looked up again. "Uh, what have you been doing?"

He barked out a laugh, sounding astonishingly like his brother. "What have I been doing? Surely you've been tracking my movements, McKinnon?"

She glared at him. "Just making conversation." She drank half of her butterbeer in one go. Gods above, but this wasn't helping. She would have cared less had she been sitting in front of Lord Voldemort. After all, she hadn't had a crush on him; ever. Regulus, however, was a different story.

_Someone to hold me too close._

_Someone to hurt me too deep._

_Someone to sit in my chair,_

_And ruin my sleep,_

_And make me aware,_

_Of being alive._

_Being alive._

"What brings you to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Shopping. You?"

"Decisions." She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, McKinnon. Women don't hold the concession on changing their minds, do they?"

Why, oh why did it have to be her? There was a time when he had tried to ask her to Hogsmeade, only to back out at the last minute. There was a time when he had sent her anonymous cards on Valentine's Day, until he joined the Dark Lord. Now he was regretting his decision, after seeing how badly Kreacher was treated. And then seeing _Marlene _here was more than reinforcing his decision.

She remained silent—no doubt from shock—so he continued. "May I request something from you?"

"What makes you think I'd…"

"You were a kind person at Hogwarts," he said, leaning forward. "I know. I saw you."

"You… saw _me_?"

He nodded. "Truth be told, I watched you. Not in a bad way," he said quickly. "Just…"

"I watched you, too."

"…Oh.

_Somebody need me too much._

_Somebody know me too well._

_Somebody pull me up short,_

_And put me through hell,_

_And give me support,_

_For being alive._

_Make me alive._

_Make me alive._

"Then I guess… what do you want?"

"Help me," he said, voice soft as he moved his hand closer to hers. "I've got a room here. Can we go up there? I don't want to be overheard any more than I already have been." He looked so sheepish and nervous that Marlene couldn't help herself.

"Of course. Which room is it?"

"Eleven. I'll be up in a few minutes. I'll pay for the drinks."

"No, you mustn't…"

"I'm the one who's taking up your time. It's my treat." Reluctantly, she went upstairs, trying to make sure that she wasn't seen.

Her heart pounded, nerves causing her to pass the door to room eleven. She hurried back, blushing, hoping that no one had seen her mistake.

Soon, she saw Regulus come into view as he climbed the stairs at the end of the hall. He smiled at her as he approached and unlocked the door, and waved her in ahead of him. With a few waves of his wand, the room was warded, and a Silencing charm was placed on it.

"I want to leave the Dark Lord," he said quietly. Marlene's jaw dropped. "Please, I have my reasons, and they're not cowardice. At least believe that much."

"But how can I? For a change of heart this sudden…"

"He… hurt someone I care about. I have information that I need you to get to Albus Dumbledore."

_Make me confused._

_Mock me with praise._

_Let me be used._

_Vary my days._

"Who's this person you care about?" She tried to make sure that her voice didn't waver.

"I… Oh, fine. Kreacher, our house elf." Regulus looked a bit embarrassed. "Look, I've known him since I was born, all right? And if that's the kind of future he has to 'look forward to', I don't want a part of it. House elves needed to be treated better."

"Oh, I see," she said, smiling back at him. "I wouldn't have guessed. I thought…"

"You thought?"

"That it was a girlfriend or something," she said, her voice quiet. He walked towards her where she stood in the middle of the room. He tilted her chin up.

"No," he said. "There's only one person I'd want to fill that role," he said. "Someone I've wanted for a long time, even though it's only hit me just now how much I want her, how much I _need _her. If she'll have me after the war."

"Is she anyone I know?"

"She's standing right here."

With that, he kissed her.

_But alone,_

_Is alone,_

_Not alive._

They eventually broke apart for oxygen, breathing heavily.

"She would have you in a heartbeat," Marlene said, failing to keep her emotions under control. "She would have years ago."

"I'm so glad of that." He was genuinely happy, an almost foreign feeling. "But first, let me give you this information."

She nodded. "Of course. I only hope that I'll remember it… afterwards." She blushed at Regulus' smirk.

"I make no guarantees." Then he turned serious. "Kreacher has a locket that belongs to the Dark Lord. He and I replaced it with a fake one, in the place where… well, that's no longer relevant. The real locket is a horcrux—an object containing a piece of a person's soul. It's keeping the Dark Lord alive. And I believe that there are more. Dumbledore needs to be told. He'll trust the information coming from you." He paused, and cradled her face in his hands. "The question is: do you trust me?"

"With my life," she whispered, and their lips came crashing together again.

_Somebody crowd me with love._

_Somebody force me to care._

_Somebody let me come through,_

_I'll always be there,_

_As frightened as you,_

_To help us survive,_

_Being alive._

_Being alive._

_Being alive!_

The Order of the Phoenix never received the information about the locket. Marlene McKinnon was found murdered in her home. A few miles away, Regulus Black was also found dead, killed by Death Eaters for consorting with the enemy.

Both had smiles on their faces.

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Another dark fic. Ah well. This is the example story for my "Being Alive song fic challenge" over in the Harry Potter forums. Please go and see it for the conditions. I've kind of bent the rules a bit, but not much. I wanted to portray both sides of the war in some way.

**Oh, and please review!**


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